Google LG Nexus 4 Unboxing And First Impressions

When the LG-built Google Nexus 4 was leaked, I was unimpressed. I’ve never really liked LG for…well….anything. Back in the day, they were known for making the absolute most crappy GSM handsets, mostly the uber-cheap freebie flip phones and such. However, they have, admittedly, been stepping up their game. When the spec’s and price were announced, though, I was all in. I’d just bought my Galaxy Nexus for about the same price, and was able to sell that, along with a few other things, to get the money together to buy the Google LG Nexus 4.

After being on backorder for a few weeks (during which I used the Lumia 920), my Google LG Nexus 4 finally arrived. I did a quick unboxing just to capture the packaging:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5XlfQATync

Having used the Google LG Nexus 4 for a few weeks now, I’m completely impressed. The build quality feels really strong, with barely any hint of the cheap plastic I’d come to hate on my Samsung-built Galaxy Nexus. I’m very aware that the back panel is glass, though – I went ahead and bought a case (more on that soon), but other than that, the physical aspects are great.

The Google LG Nexus 4 shipped with Android v4.2, Jelly Bean, and for once, I only rooted it, but am running the stock ROM (I threw a custom ROM on my Galaxy Nexus before I even put my SIM in it). There are a few things that I miss from Custom ROMs, such as a more customisable lockscreen, so I’m sure I’ll put one on it soon, but for now, I’m pretty satisfied with a rooted stock ROM.

Some of the improvements in v4.2 that I’m enjoying include the ability to swipe to the camera from the lockscreen – it’s quick as lightning and has made it possible to get shots that my Galaxy Nexus would have missed. Speaking of, the camera app is improved, sort of. I still believe the HTC Sense camera app is superior, but the stock Android one sucks a lot less now.

Google Now is becoming more and more useful every day, and the Nexus 4’s quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM make this thing SCREAM through most tasks that I throw at it.

Battery life has been something that most reviewers complain about, and it’s a mixed bag. I get about 10-12 hours out of my battery, with normal usage. That’s comparable to what I got with my Galaxy Nexus, and it’s just enough for me, since I’m at a desk most of the time. I don’t have a compatible wireless charging pad (yet), so I can’t really comment on how that works.

Pretty much everything I hated about my Galaxy Nexus has been fixed with the Nexus 4. That includes slowness, cheap plastic feel, camera quality, loudspeaker volume, and display brightness.

There’s also been a lot of hoo-hah about the lack of LTE support on the Nexus 4. I’m using StraightTalk, which is an MVNO that runs on AT&T (or T-Mobile)’s HSPA+ network. I wouldn’t get access to AT&T’s 4G LTE even if the phone supported it, so it’s a moot point for me.

Overall, I’m absolutely loving the Google LG Nexus 4, and I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially for the price.